Martz: Thanksgiving is underrated

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In between the mourning of the end of the Internet’s favorite spooky night and the capitalist rush towards Christmas falls the perfectly pleasant, yet often forgotten, holiday of Thanksgiving. Muddled by the fact that Black Friday sales are pushed earlier and earlier each year and the commercial gaudiness of Christmas, this holiday can get brushed under the rug or become a sort of afterthought. I think that’s a shame.

So why is Thanksgiving a holiday worth paying attention to?

Firstly, Thanksgiving hits right in that sweet spot of fall where—in the Midwest at least—it isn’t truly cold enough to necessitate staying indoors, but just cold enough that staying inside with with a warm drink and a big blanket has a perfect excuse.

Secondly, Thanksgiving is the best holiday to spend with family. And even if you have to stay on campus this year, having a friendsgiving is just as amazing of a time. Thanksgiving doesn’t have the pressure of gift giving or the overall rush of Christmas. In fact, I’d venture to say that Thanksgiving is the holiday that is most centered and calm. Yes, perhaps stuffing that turkey is pretty stressful but at the end of the day you’re full of warm food with people you love.

In addition, Thanksgiving is a secular holiday so you can celebrate it with everyone: your friends, your family, your neighbors. All in all it’s just like Christmas’ less stressful cousin. Whether your traditions include football, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, the Purina Dog show or something that doesn’t involve watching TV, there are a million ways to dive into food, friends and family.

So I encourage you to pull Thanksgiving out from under that rug and truly embrace the holiday. It’s easy to get lost in the rush of Christmas songs and decorations, but try to fight the instinct and give yourself a few more days to just revel in fall and the most affectionate holiday of the year. Thanksgiving is chock full of opportunities to just revel in the people who surround you and how much they mean to you, and honestly, what could be bad about that?

Paulina Martz is a second-year student and a theatre and psychology double major. While Christmas is her favorite holiday she would like to thank The Bowling Champ for reminding her how great Thanksgiving is and inspiring this article. She wishes you a very happy Thanksgiving.

Paulina Martz is a third-year student studying theater and psychology. Someday she will actually listen to the advice she gives and take a nap on Sundays.

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